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GCUFF 2016 SEPTEMBER

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GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong>


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Par tner<br />

Gr ants<br />

Festival Level<br />

Wr iter Level<br />

Actor Level


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Ar t Level<br />

education<br />

Str aw br i d ge<br />

Fu n er al H om e<br />

Suppor ter<br />

Mfinity Media & EYE-80 Media<br />

TO OUR SPONSORS<br />

& PATRONS<br />

Thank you for<br />

your continued support<br />

of <strong>GCUFF</strong>.<br />

DONNA DABBS<br />

Executive Director<br />

ALTON TINKER<br />

Board Chair<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

Johh Hopkins<br />

Stephanie Wahome<br />

Devon Collins<br />

Kathryn Hall<br />

Mark Perkins<br />

Joshua McHamm Perkins<br />

Shelley Tobias<br />

James McMillan<br />

Frederick Ross-Johnson<br />

TEAM <strong>GCUFF</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Brett Devine, , Programming Chair<br />

Haja Tunkara, Project Manager<br />

Felicia Haney, Public Relations<br />

Shelley Tobias, Operations<br />

Charles Chambers, Information Design<br />

Rahim Basit, Publishing<br />

Jerod Johnson, Community Relations<br />

Renee Whiteside, Communications<br />

Rhonda Crowder, Communications<br />

Lisala Peery, Social Media<br />

Eric Siler, Film<br />

Patrick Washington, Community Liaison<br />

Neal Hodges, Creative Consultant<br />

Sonja Smith, Graphic Design<br />

Pamela Sonchez, Publishiing<br />

Danita Love, Publishing<br />

Lavonda Talbert, Film<br />

Ruby Gamble, Publishing<br />

Mark Mathews, Events<br />

Tahera Hasan, Events<br />

Betty Haliburton, Media<br />

INFO@<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

(216) 245-9472<br />

P.O. Box 22211<br />

Beachwood, OH 44122<br />

Shaker Square<br />

Cinema<br />

13116 Shaker Square,<br />

Cleveland Ohio 44120


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

By Blood<br />

Shedding light on the details of a little known part of<br />

African American history wherein 150 years ago,<br />

people of African descent (Freedmen) became part of<br />

the Cherokee and Seminole Nations, this<br />

award-winning documentary exposes the current,<br />

ongoing struggle caused when the tribes<br />

disenfranchised over 30,000 descendants of<br />

Freedmen and excluded them from tribal benefits.<br />

Run Time: 66 min<br />

Directed by: Marcos C. Barbery & Sam Russell<br />

Produced by: Marcos C. Barbery<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 1:00 pm l 9/ 21 @ 4:45 pm<br />

Soul on Ice<br />

Soul On Ice: Past, Present, and Future presents and<br />

retells the virtually unknown contributions of black<br />

athletes in ice hockey. These Black athletes dared to<br />

give their sport soul. At the heart of the story is Jaden<br />

Lindo, a young man chasing after his lifelong dream to<br />

play in the NHL. The film follows Jaden in the most<br />

important year of his hockey life, mirroring the journey<br />

that many other black athletes have faced to make it to<br />

the NHL.<br />

Run Time 86 min.<br />

Director: Kwame Mason<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 6:30 pm l 9/ 19 @ 3:00 pm<br />

Tell Me Sweet Something<br />

Moratiwa, an aspiring writer, owns and runs a<br />

bookstore in the heart of Johannesburg. The<br />

bookstore, like her love life, is not experiencing much<br />

success until she meets and falls in love with the<br />

unlikeliest candidate.<br />

Run Time: 90 min<br />

Director: Akin Omotoso<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 1:30 pm I 9/ 19 @ 5:00 PM<br />

In a Perfect World<br />

What it is like to be a male child raised by a single<br />

mother? Men from various backgrounds and ages<br />

share personal anecdotes that highlight their<br />

relationships with their single mothers who raised<br />

them and their absentee fathers. A probing cinematic<br />

essay examining one of society?s greatest ailments.<br />

Run Time: 73<br />

Director: Daphne McWilliams<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 2:30 pm l 9/ 21 @ 3:00 PM<br />

How to Tell You're a Douchebag<br />

Ray (Brice) is the writer of a notorious Brooklyn blog<br />

called ?Occasionally Dating Black Women,? an<br />

inveterate womanizer, and, well, the title says the<br />

rest. But when this woefully unenlightened cad<br />

makes an enemy of? and then falls for? hotshot<br />

writer Rochelle (Wise) he gets a hard won lesson in<br />

humility. The smart, sexy feature debut from Tahir<br />

Jetter cuts through romantic comedy conventions<br />

with wit and verve.<br />

Run Time 75 min<br />

Director: Tahir Jetter<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 7:0 0PM l 9/ 21 @ 5:30 pm<br />

Driving While Black<br />

A dark comedy, based on the police experiences of<br />

Dimitri, a young black man who delivers pizzas for a<br />

living and is faced with daily drama from the cops as<br />

he navigates the streets of Los Angeles. Stars ,<br />

Dominique Purdy, Sheila Tejada, Peter Cilella, John<br />

Mead<br />

Run Time: 97 min<br />

Director: Paul Sapiano<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 8:30 pm l 9/ 20 @ 3:00 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Battledream Chronicle<br />

Syanna, a young female slave struggles to regain<br />

her freedom in a futuristic world where the entire<br />

world has been enslaved and where plantations are<br />

video games. A beautifully rendered feature<br />

animation. Stars , Jacques Olivier Ensfelder, Yna<br />

Boulange, Steffy Glissant, Chantal Sacarabany<br />

Perro, Maxime Lelue.<br />

Director: Alan Baird<br />

Run Time: 108 min.<br />

Screenings: 9/ 17 @ 3:30 pm I 9/ 19 @ 7:00 pm<br />

Secrets<br />

When a successful businessman has a sexual<br />

appetite larger than what's on his plate at home,<br />

chaos erupts. Tarron's irresistible co-worker<br />

serves it up, while his wife who's ironically named<br />

Secret, releases a few secrets of her own.<br />

Run Time 107 mins.<br />

Director: Juwan Lee<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 8:00 pm<br />

Trafficked<br />

George, Penny and Nadia are best of friends. While on<br />

vacation on an idyllic Caribbean island, they find<br />

themselves being seduced by a stranger?s wealth and<br />

charm. When the stranger?s true motives are revealed,<br />

the three friends realize that they are pawns in a<br />

deadly game. Stars Aaron Charles, Kia Rollock, Gyerlini<br />

Clarke.<br />

Run Time 72 mins.<br />

Director: Sean Hodgkinson<br />

Screenings: 9/ 17 @ 5:15 pm l 9/ 19 @ 5:30 pm<br />

Killing Lazarus<br />

Filmmakers: Desmond Faison<br />

Childhood friends turned adult drug dealers<br />

struggle to define what's next in their strained<br />

friendship. Anything but typical, "Killing Lazaurs"<br />

is unlike anything you've seen.<br />

Run Time: 117 min<br />

Director: Desmond Faison<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 9 pm l 9/ 21 @ 7:30 pm<br />

Tear The Roof Off: The Untold Story of<br />

Parliament Funkadelic<br />

Award winning documentarian, Bobby J. Brown,<br />

uncovered numerous secrets of Hall of Fame band<br />

Parliament Funkadelic. Members open up about the<br />

methods they were paid, heavily exploited, and the<br />

creativity behind the unique genre of<br />

music. The untold story of the rise and fall of the<br />

greatest funk band ever.<br />

Run Time: 60 min<br />

Director: Bobby J Brown<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 6:00 pm<br />

Walk All Night: A Drum Beat Journey<br />

A documentary about four teenage street musicians<br />

from Chicago embarking on a journey to Senegal to<br />

explore its culture and their connection to Africa.<br />

Learning the sabar drum from a griot percussionist<br />

they discover that music can empower them to<br />

persevere and grow. While the young men begin to<br />

see themselves in a new light outside of the chaos of<br />

the city, the project leaders realize just how difficult<br />

it is to make lasting change.<br />

Run Time: 85 min<br />

Directors :Kate Benzschawel, Mallory Sohmer<br />

Screenings: 9/ 18 @ 12:30 PM l 9/ 20 @ 3:30 PM


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Halfway<br />

?Halfway is a right-of-passage story seen through the<br />

eyes of our protagonist and further themes that run<br />

through the story include strong family values and the<br />

belief that everyone deserves a second chance.<br />

Byron?s story asks the audience to consider the<br />

serious systematic failure within the American prison<br />

system, where a lack of opportunity for those who<br />

have transgressed in their past seems to guarantee a<br />

future behind bars.?<br />

Run Time: 104 min<br />

Director: Ben Caird<br />

Screenings: 9/ 18 @ 1:30 pm l 9/ 22 @ 3:30 pm<br />

East Cleveland:<br />

A Tale of Two Cities<br />

East Cleveland, one of America?s last surviving<br />

majority black run cities, a once great city is now in<br />

a state of flux plagued with blight and uncertainty.<br />

This is the story about what happens when kids are<br />

armed with cameras and a microphone, and an<br />

opportunity to tell the tale from their point of<br />

view.<br />

Free and Open to Public: Ticket Required. Tickets<br />

available at Shaker Square Cinemas Box Office<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 2:00 pm<br />

Ben And Ara<br />

Ben, a passionately agnostic PhD student, falls behind<br />

in his dissertation and is surprised to find a muse in<br />

Ara, a devout Muslim. Ben and Ara fall in love but<br />

grapple with differences in their core beliefs and<br />

lifestyle choices. Stars , Joseph Baird, Constance<br />

Ejuma, Akuyoe Graham, Michael Chieffo, Q\ 'orianka<br />

Kilcher.<br />

Director: Nnegest Likke<br />

Run Time: 86 mins<br />

Screenings: 9/ 18 @ 2:30 pm l 9/ 21 @ 1:30 pm<br />

Dirt & Deeds in Mississippi<br />

A provocative account of how Black landowning<br />

families in Mississippi who believed in armed<br />

self-defense became the secret weapon of the<br />

?non-violent civil rights movement?for voting rights<br />

and racial equality. Narrated by Danny Glover<br />

Run Time: 82 min.<br />

Director: David Schulman<br />

Screenings: 9/ 19 @ 1:00 pm l 9/ 22 @ 3:30 pm<br />

Lambadina<br />

Joseph, the son of an Ethiopian politician, is left to<br />

fend for himself when his father is jailed and his<br />

relatives abandon him. But Joseph is resilient and<br />

hard working and struggles through many challenges,<br />

including the loss of his first love when her family<br />

moves to the US. When he wins a lottery allowing him<br />

to immigrate to the US, he is determined to find his<br />

lost love. Stars Tsion Mekonen, Bersu Samson, Addis<br />

Kidane, Michael Temesgen, Yosef Ewnetu, Messay<br />

Getahun.<br />

Run Time: 115 min<br />

Director: Messay Getahun<br />

Screenings: 9/ 18 @ 4:00 pm l 9/ 21 @ 3:30 pm<br />

Meet t he Act ors at The Reel Lounge<br />

13210 Shaker Square | 9/ 16 @ 4:30 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

The Science of Wisdom<br />

The science of wisdom explores the<br />

academic study of wisdom and current<br />

concepts in education that may lead to<br />

promoting wisdom in marginalized groups.<br />

The film addresses the importance of<br />

wisdom in everyday life specifically in light<br />

of neo-progressive movements in the United<br />

States.<br />

Run Time: 62 min<br />

Director: Jason Boulware<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 12:30 pm I 9/ 19 @ 3:30<br />

pm<br />

Sleeper<br />

A wanted man hiding out in a secluded house<br />

tries to convince his friend and hostage that<br />

he's not the one who killed the President, it<br />

was his clone. This one will keep you<br />

guessing<br />

Run Time: 100 min<br />

Director: Christopher Miles<br />

Screening: 9/ 20 @ 1:30<br />

The Journey: From Tragedy To<br />

Triumph<br />

Poignant, personal, educational, and endearing,<br />

?The Journey, From Tragedy to Triumph? is a<br />

testimony about recovering lives damaged by<br />

the tragedies associated with mental illness and<br />

addiction. ?The Journey? is a film that beautifully<br />

captures the essence of the recovery movement,<br />

and the Life Exchange Center?s (LEC) mission to<br />

support a community plagued by stigma and<br />

misunderstanding.<br />

Run Time: 60 min<br />

Director: Kevin Cameron<br />

Screening: 9/ 20 @ 5:00 pm<br />

Up This Hill<br />

Cleveland area teens take a week long<br />

service-learning trip to Harlan, Kentucky to build<br />

homes for low-income families. They give their<br />

all, laboring under an unforgiving sun, and lifting<br />

each other up along the way. They end up<br />

getting much more in return.<br />

Run Time: 60 min<br />

Director: Paul Sobota<br />

Screening: 9/ 20 @ 6:00 pm<br />

The Writer's Block<br />

A young musician, Jordan ?JW? Wright (Eric<br />

Beal), has his world turned upside-down<br />

through tragedy and life's vicissitudes.<br />

Although supported by family and good<br />

friends like Boney (Camari Brown), JW?s pain<br />

causes him to question his faith and flirt with<br />

dangerous choices. Despite his actions,<br />

mindset, and poor choices, God's unfailing<br />

love remains unrelenting throughout his<br />

period of rediscovery; causing him to finally<br />

experience a deeper dimension of his faith,<br />

forgiveness, and purpose.<br />

Run Time: 99 min<br />

Director: Sonya Blakeley<br />

Screening: 9/ 22 @ 8:45 pm<br />

The Land<br />

THE LAND tells the story of four teenage boys<br />

who devote their summer to escaping the streets<br />

of Cleveland, Ohio to pursue a dream life of<br />

professional skateboarding. But when they get<br />

caught in the web of the local Queen-pin, their<br />

motley brotherhood is tested, threatening to<br />

make this summer their last.<br />

Run Time: 100 min<br />

Director: Stephen Caple Jr<br />

Screenings: 9/ 20 @ 6:30 pm l 9/ 20 @ 8: 40 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Voices Of The Hill<br />

?Voices of the Hill? is a community oral history<br />

documentary that chronicles the history of<br />

Twinsburg Heights, a historically black segregated<br />

suburb in Northeast Ohio. This documentary is told<br />

through the eyes of area youth as they research,<br />

film, and interview elders in their community in<br />

order to learn and preserve a history before it is lost<br />

to dying industries, foreclosures, and gentrification.<br />

Students learn first-hand, the importance of banning<br />

together, self-advocacy, civic engagement and<br />

family as they capture the stories of their elders.<br />

Run Time: 113 min<br />

Director: Carla L Carter-Bishop<br />

Screening: 9/ 22 @ 1:00 pm<br />

Toyed Emotions<br />

Shaker Square Cinema (13116 Shaker Square ,<br />

Cleveland Ohio 44120)<br />

Matthew Dexter is a CEO who comes face-to-face<br />

with a devastating diagnosis of early-onset<br />

Alzheimer's disease. As he struggles and embraces<br />

his faith, his secret affair emerges! The life that is<br />

led by Matthew appears to be perfect.<br />

Run Time: 60 mins<br />

Director: David Walker<br />

Executive Producer: Mary Ann Lorient<br />

Screening: 9/ 22 @ 6:00 pm<br />

Story of Our Lives<br />

A string of short films documenting the stories of<br />

persons who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual,<br />

transgender and intersex from Kenya. We called this<br />

project 'Stories of Our Lives' (the resulting archive is<br />

contained in this book) - and we wanted to do this<br />

project for many reasons, but mostly because we<br />

wanted to tell stories that are not often heard, stories<br />

that characterize the queer experience in Kenya.<br />

Beautiful soundtrack and gorgeous black + white<br />

cinematography.<br />

Run Time: 60 min<br />

Director: Jim Chuchu<br />

Screening: 9/ 19 @ 7:30 pm<br />

Check It<br />

An intimate portrait of four childhood friends as they<br />

claw themselves out of gang life through an unlikely<br />

avenue: fashion. Led by an ex-convict named ?Mo?,<br />

the Check It members are now creating their own<br />

clothing label, putting on fashion shows and working<br />

stints as runway models. But breaking the cycle of<br />

poverty and violence they?ve grown up in is a<br />

daunting task. So when they?re not taking small steps<br />

forward on the catwalk, they too often take massive<br />

steps backwards.<br />

Run Time: 60 min.<br />

Director: Dana Flor<br />

Screening: 9/ 17 @ 7:00 pm<br />

New Girls In Town: A Resurgence In<br />

Women's Wrestling<br />

In this documentary a diverse collection of women<br />

share successes and aspirations in their chosen<br />

field of professional wrestling. It stars nationally<br />

televised stars from TNA (Total Nonstop Action),<br />

Jade also known as Mia Yim and her former tag<br />

team partner Marti Bell. It also stars UFC<br />

competitor Shayna Baszler along with Ring of<br />

Honor's Kelly Klein and rising indie star Nicole<br />

Savoy<br />

Run Time 32 min<br />

Director: Gesus Zaire<br />

Screening: 9/ 22 @ 7:330


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise<br />

The first documentary about the iconic writer, poet, performer and activist who<br />

overcame racism and devastating abuse to become one of our culture?s greatest voices.<br />

Rare footage and photos unveil an intimate and often unknown<br />

view of her public and personal life with the power of her own words.<br />

Run Time: 114 min<br />

Directors: Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack<br />

Screening: 9/ 21 @ 6:00pm<br />

Agents of Change<br />

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision mandated the integration of<br />

American schools ?with all deliberate speed.? It wasn?t until the late 1960s that a<br />

critical mass of African American students began entering the nation?s<br />

colleges and universities. Agents of Change tells the story of what they<br />

encountered, how they responded. Many students dealt with racial slurs, taunts and<br />

threats from faculty as well as from other students. Agents of Change introduces a<br />

cast of largely unrecognized but remarkable characters, whose commitment to<br />

justice and equality paved the way for the opportunities that followed, while also<br />

reminding viewers about the work yet to be done to achieve full equity and dignity<br />

on campus and in society. How is it that so much and so little has changed? This film<br />

helps answer that question.<br />

Director: Abby Ginzberg<br />

Run Time: 64 min<br />

Screening: 9/ 22 @ 7:00 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Olympic Pride American Justice<br />

Shaker Square Cinema (13116 Shaker Square ,<br />

Cleveland Ohio 44120)<br />

Filmmakers: Deborah Riley Draper<br />

This documentary explores the trials and<br />

triumphs of the 18 African-American Olympians<br />

who participated in 1936 games. Set against the<br />

strained and turbulent atmosphere of a racially<br />

divided America, which was torn between<br />

boycotting Hitler's Olympics or participating in<br />

the Third Reich's grandest affair, the film follows<br />

16 men and two women before, during and after<br />

their heroic turn at the Summer Olympic<br />

Games in Berlin.<br />

Run Time; 79 min<br />

Director: Deborah Riley Draper<br />

Screening: 9/ 18 @ 4:30 pm<br />

Jim Brown?s Amer-I-Can Dream<br />

Shaker Square Cinema (13116 Shaker Square , Cleveland Ohio 44120)<br />

Almost half a century after Jim Brown left the game of football, he remains<br />

known as the most dominant running back ever. Hailed by many as one of the<br />

greatest athletes in American history Brown headed from the football field to<br />

Hollywood stardom. However his accomplishments in film and sports pale in<br />

comparison to his relentless commitment to social change. For the past 20 years<br />

the NFL legend has been unwavering in his mission to end the deadly epidemic<br />

of violence among America?s youth. Senseless killings have claimed the lives of<br />

thousands of young men and women. What seemed to be a problem reserved for<br />

large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles is now jolting smaller towns with equal<br />

frequency. The death-toll has reached inconceivable heights. In ? Jim Brown?s<br />

Amer-I-Can Dream? Filmmaker Aurora Ferlin takes you into the heart of Jim<br />

Brown?s Amer-I-Can foundation where former rival gang members re-invent<br />

themselves from predators to peacemakers. According to Brown, a lifetime<br />

marred by death and incarceration has molded these men into the perfect<br />

vehicles of change. The odds seemingly stacked against them we follow this<br />

unlikely band of brothers as they set out to change their lives and the lives of<br />

those around them. ?This intimate journey defies the typical snap shot of street<br />

culture and becomes a compelling roller-coaster ride, where the commitment of<br />

everyone involved will be put to the ultimate test.<br />

Run Time: 92 mins<br />

Director: Aurora Ferlin<br />

Screening: 9/ 18 @ 7:00 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL<br />

Opening Night Film & Reception<br />

<strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG<br />

Closing Night Film & Reception<br />

<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

Jerico<br />

This is the Closing Night Film of the 5th Greater<br />

Cleveland Urban Film Festival. An awards<br />

presentation and Q&A with VIP?s from the movie<br />

will follow the screening. Special admission $25;<br />

Cinematheque members and CIA & CSU I.D.<br />

holders $20. (No ?25 & under? price for this film.)<br />

Cleveland Museum of Art - Gartner Auditorium<br />

11400 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH<br />

Join us for our opening night reception for the screening of "9 Rides." Director Matthew<br />

Cherry will be on hand for a Q&A immediately following the screening. There will be a<br />

reception with light appetizers at Zanzibar Soul Fusion Restaurant on Shaker Square.<br />

Tickets are $35 for General Admission or<br />

Free with the purchase of All Access Pass<br />

Doors Open at 6:00 pm<br />

Film starts at 7:00 pm<br />

USA, <strong>2016</strong>, Seckeita Lewis<br />

How does one make a comedy about the Jim<br />

Crow South? Somehow the husband and wife<br />

indie filmmaking team of Brandon<br />

(screenwriter/ lead actor) and Seckeita Lewis<br />

(director) have pulled it off. Set in a rural<br />

Mississippi town on the morning of the passage<br />

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the film follows<br />

two African American best friends who apply for<br />

a promotion at the printing company where they<br />

work. But their gesture is rebuffed by those who<br />

don?t do change as well as they do, and pretty<br />

soon they?re running for their lives from a lynch<br />

mob and much more. With Irma P. Hall. Cleveland<br />

premiere. DCP. 98 min.


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 SHORTS PROGRAM 2<br />

A Queen's Discovery<br />

A Young Girl's African Journey To Find Her<br />

Greatness Within<br />

24 min Documentary Short<br />

Director : Kenneth Braswell<br />

I?ll Text You<br />

Barry and Cindy are on a first date... or are they?<br />

Stars , Victor Williams, Wendy Raquel Robinson. Run<br />

Time: 2 min Director: David Ladson<br />

Next Lifetime<br />

How a simple game of destiny changes the destiny<br />

of two lovers.<br />

Run Time: 20 min<br />

Director: Sheela Sharma<br />

Courting Lewis Baker<br />

Yearning to reconnect with his father and learn<br />

how to be a better man, Lewis seeks to rebuild<br />

his relationship with his father. But doing so<br />

causes him to neglect his girlfriend. Stars Tobi<br />

Aremu, Nicole Rainteau, Rayvon Southerland,<br />

Caleb Jackson.<br />

14 m Narrative Short.<br />

Director: Richard T. Fields<br />

Hand Delivered<br />

A man receives a envelope with no return<br />

address but a photo inside takes him on a<br />

painful journey down memory lane. 11 min<br />

Narrative Short<br />

Director: Myron Davis<br />

Run Time: 48 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 3:30 pm l 9/ 18 @ 12:00<br />

pm<br />

'Nappy' Makes Me Happy<br />

Exploring the realities of having natural African<br />

American hair in today's society, starting in March,<br />

<strong>2016</strong> I decided to reveal what happens when I have<br />

fun with my hair. Run Time: 8 min<br />

Director: Imani Karpowich<br />

The Turnaround Dance<br />

A light romance, coming-of-age story about an<br />

immigrant boy and his search to find courage, while<br />

making all the right moves and finding love. Stars<br />

Hendell A. Concepcion de la Cruz, Cecilia Villalobos,<br />

Marie-Claire Brown, Frederic Colas, Chanae Isaac.<br />

Run Time: 10 min<br />

Director: Allyson Brown<br />

Soft Times<br />

When Patricia meets Savion, she?s met a man who<br />

has everything a woman could dream of; amazing<br />

looks, his sanity, a comfortable lifestyle, not to<br />

mention, suave and debonair. Patricia is convinced<br />

she's met the potential one, but gets entangled in a<br />

mess when she realizes that Savion takes the cake<br />

everywhere else? except in bed. In fact, he?s more<br />

than horrible in the bedroom. Patricia must decide if<br />

she can put away her selfish needs for the sake of<br />

the stability and comfort that comes with a life of<br />

domesticity.Run Time: 18 min.<br />

Director: Ashunda Norris<br />

Run Time: 58 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 4:30 pm l 9/ 19 @ 1:30 pm


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

SHORTS PROGRAM 3 SHORTS PROGRAM 4<br />

Rise Up<br />

A Drama about A Young African-American Male<br />

that travels back in time to the year 1964 to<br />

Address Social and Cultural Issues effecting<br />

today's Black America to Malcolm x & Dr. Martin<br />

Luther King Jr.<br />

Run Time 14 mins.<br />

Director: Marcellus Cox<br />

Run Time: 73 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 5:00 pm l 9/ 20 @ 1:00 pm<br />

In Love There is War<br />

After a childhood friendship turns into an unspoken<br />

love, Jada finally puts her pride aside to fight for<br />

the man she loves. With Chase's wedding only a<br />

few minutes away, Jada has to fight through traffic,<br />

nerves and Chase's soon-to-be wife in order to stop<br />

him from making the biggest mistake of his life.<br />

Run Time: 55 min<br />

Director: Danielle Nelson<br />

Sceenings: 9/ 16 @ 8:45 pm<br />

Some Torches<br />

Don't Burn Some Roads Lead Back Home .<br />

Run Time 22 mins<br />

Director: Chris Reese<br />

Black-ness<br />

Black-ness is a short documentary that examines<br />

the daily struggles, fears and hopes of black<br />

people living in America.<br />

Run Time. 27 mins<br />

Director: Miki Blak<br />

One Man's Perspective<br />

An encounter at a gas station between three<br />

individuals who have an uncomfortable<br />

conversation about what really makes a good man<br />

is the theme of the short film written and directed<br />

by Cleveland native Kevin Taylor. The film ?One<br />

Man?s Perspective? clearly demonstrates that<br />

appearances are not always what they seem.<br />

Run Time: 15 min<br />

Director: Kevin Taylor<br />

Screenings: 9/ 16 @ 8:45 pm<br />

ReversAll<br />

Helen and Marcus Thomas are husband and wife<br />

minority cafe owners, working through the daily<br />

struggles of married life and keeping their<br />

business afloat. Their stressful Saturday morning<br />

is interrupted by a call from the police asking if a<br />

detective can come by for a talk. Assuming it has<br />

to do with credit card fraud, the Thomas' wrestle<br />

with each other on how to best engage the cops.<br />

Run Time: 10<br />

Director: Joddy Eric Matthews<br />

Writer: Alonzo Jones<br />

Shelter<br />

Recovering addict James, has one final chance to<br />

be a hero to his estranged ex-wife and daughter<br />

Run Time: 15 min<br />

Director: April Mosley


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

SHORTS PROGRAM 5 SHORTS PROGRAM 6<br />

Checkers in the Afternoon<br />

In Elloree, South Carolina, a group of African<br />

American men pass the time, and put aside worries<br />

about the economy, by playing checkers together<br />

every afternoon. 3 min<br />

Director: Emily Harrold<br />

1440 and Counting<br />

A burned-out teacher is one day away, fourteen<br />

hundred and forty minutes from retirement when<br />

she is confronted by a desperate man from her past.<br />

When she discovers a beloved student of hers is in<br />

danger, her life is turned upside down within<br />

minutes. Stars , Loretta Devine. 13 min<br />

Director: Tony Gapastione<br />

Across The Tracks<br />

Two sisters grow up in 1960s Georgia. But one is<br />

born with light skin and when schools integrate, she<br />

decides to change her destiny - by passing for white.<br />

Stars , Berkeley Clayborne, Brynn Crosby, Carla<br />

McCullough, Thursday Farrar, E Roger Mitchel. 16<br />

min<br />

Director: Michael Cooke<br />

The Sit In<br />

A high school student is bullied and harassed by her<br />

peers because she is different. In the end she<br />

decides to take a stand. 15 min<br />

Director: Stephon Davis<br />

Run Time: 47 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 17 @ 12:00 pm l 9/ 21 @ 1:00 pm<br />

Introvert<br />

Animation.<br />

Run Time: 2 min<br />

Director: Chaz Bottoms<br />

About That<br />

Summer and Jonathan are in love, but love isn't<br />

enough for some people. Unfortunately, the world<br />

is uncomfortable with the pair and events start to<br />

hint at Jonathan's mental stability.<br />

Run Time: 15 mins.<br />

Director: Damien D Smith<br />

All My Friends Are Married<br />

ALL MY FRIENDS ARE MARRIED depicts the life of a<br />

thirty something woman attempting to avoid<br />

spinsterhood in New York City. We think it's<br />

hilarious and we think you will too.<br />

Run Time: 30 mins<br />

Director: Ekwa Msangi<br />

Unknown Ground Air & Electricity<br />

(TVOne Unsung Parody)<br />

From the creators of Unsung comes a new<br />

documentary series. In this episode we look at one<br />

of the most influential bands that you've never<br />

heard of, Ground Air & Electricity.<br />

Run Time; 7 mins<br />

Director: David Velo Stewart<br />

Donut Duggies<br />

There's a new drug in the neighborhood. And its<br />

more diabolical than you think<br />

Run Time: 13 min<br />

Written by Hope Beck and Ebonee Owens<br />

Run Time: 67 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 17 @ 1:30 l


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

SHORTS PROGRAM 7 SHORTS PROGRAM 8<br />

In This World<br />

15-year-old Courvosier Cox knows he is<br />

destined to be a star. Struggling to find his<br />

place in the complex world of inner-city<br />

Durham, NC, he undertakes a relentless quest<br />

to escape into the spotlight. 15 MIN<br />

Director: Kelly Creedon<br />

Dance of the Night<br />

With so much chaos surrounding her, dance is<br />

this teen's only escape. 7 min .A film written by<br />

Tiana Wilson. Directed by CSA film students<br />

5 Minutes<br />

If you were given 5 Minutes left to live, who<br />

would you call? 8 min<br />

Director: David Innes Edwards<br />

Ugly movie<br />

A coming-of-age story of a boy looking for love<br />

in the wrong place...his own environment. 20<br />

min<br />

Director: Leron Lee<br />

Run Time: 50 min<br />

Screenings: 9/ 17 @ 3:45 pm l 9/ 22<br />

@ 1:30 pm<br />

Marianne<br />

A Nigerian man travels to a remote, pentecostal<br />

church with his ailing wife.<br />

Run Time: 17 mins. Director: Tomisin Adepeju<br />

Aquarium<br />

A couple drive to the beach to say their final<br />

goodbyes. Stars J.D. Phillips, Vivian Ngo. Run Time:<br />

8 min. Director: Benmio McCrea<br />

JackDaw<br />

A father mourns on the one year anniversary of his<br />

wife's disappearance. Run Time: 14 mins. Director:<br />

Travis Champagne<br />

Dirt<br />

Some things must die to live<br />

Run Time 7 mins. Director: Darius Clark Monroe<br />

Bailee Who<br />

A six-year-old little girl has to care for her 7-week old<br />

sister as their mother has died in the home. But her<br />

belief in a children's story about a magical owl sends<br />

her on a journey. Can the owl help her before the<br />

authorities come to take them away?<br />

Run Time 8 mins. Director: Kevin Taylor<br />

A Sweet Christmas<br />

When a determined sister brings her family together,<br />

she finds that she has to direct their personal lives<br />

only to discover that a strange dessert brings a dark<br />

surprise.<br />

Run Time 8 mins. Director: Myron Davis<br />

Run Time: 64 min<br />

Screening: 9/ 20 @ 7:30


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

SHORTS PROGRAM 9<br />

The System<br />

The System is a riveting dramatic thriller that<br />

follows a LAPD Staff Sgt. who's loyalty is put to<br />

the test when he is forced to interrogate a former<br />

ally.<br />

Run Time: 14 min. Director Marcellus Cox<br />

Bus Stop<br />

Two men with history meet, by chance, at a bus<br />

stop. 7 Who is Responsible A documentary film<br />

guided by one question: "Who is responsible for<br />

the current state of our society?"<br />

Run Time: 11 min<br />

Capoeira<br />

The inspiring story of Anthony Santo Domingo,<br />

leaving behind the poverty of Lorain, Ohio to<br />

become a professional International Brazilian Jiu<br />

Jitsu Competitor and work with the <strong>2016</strong> World<br />

Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Capoeira: Live the<br />

Game chronicles his work with one African American<br />

young man, helping him to realize that he can<br />

achieve anything he can imagine.<br />

Run Time: 10 min<br />

Director: Joddy Eric Matthews.<br />

Producer: Captain Obadiah Baker,<br />

Oakland in Blue:<br />

Kennedy, a recent college graduate, returns home<br />

to Oakland, CA to be manager for local rap artist<br />

Marcus. Their struggle to launch a successful<br />

independent record label without compromising<br />

their integrity is conflicted by the temptation of<br />

'Legit versus Street', threatening their lifelong<br />

friendship.<br />

Run Time: 24 min Director: Robbin Rae<br />

Pass Interference<br />

Davone Bess appeared to have it all as an NFL wide<br />

receiver but looks are often deceiving. And a<br />

perceived weakness is the last thing any athlete<br />

wants to expose. Even if it could cost him<br />

everything.<br />

Run Time: 10 min<br />

Director: Branson Wright<br />

Black Cop<br />

Following the death of an unarmed teen, a black<br />

police officer takes the privileged community on<br />

a spontaneous day filled with abuse, assault, and<br />

terror.<br />

Run Time: 10 min<br />

Who is Responsible<br />

A documentary film by directed and edited by<br />

Joseph Jones<br />

Assistant directors, Ebonee Owens, Raylen<br />

Crawford, Treveon Bland, and Taeynesha<br />

Blas-Ruiz<br />

A documentary film guided by one question:<br />

"Who is responsible for the current state of our<br />

society?"


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong>


GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />

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@ The Great er Cleveland Urban Film Fest ival<br />

Sat urday - Sept em ber 17, <strong>2016</strong> - 2:00 PM<br />

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GREATER CLEVELAND URBAN FILM FESTIVAL <strong>GCUFF</strong>.ORG <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2016</strong>


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